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75:. It was here that Robert Elwes and his wife settled, building Congham House in the late 1850s. Today only one wing remains following the disastrous fire of November 1939. The fire has meant the loss of much valuable material relating to the Elwes family, but the surviving work of Robert Elwes, in the form of paintings and journals, provides an insight into the life of this Victorian country gentleman, exceptional not only for the extent of his travels, but also for the meticulousness of his artistic and literary records.
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The painter's journeys were conducted at an easy pace, dependent on the frequency of trading ships, coastal cruisers, the availability of pack horses and the hospitality of the local people. His contacts and acquaintanceships were extensive: letters of introduction ensured that he frequently lodged
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on rough dark paper, distinguished by his characteristic use of blue and sharp white highlights. At their best these are fine, sensitive evocations of the familiar coastline and countryside round his home, contrasting with the exotic scenes he encountered abroad, from the craggy slopes of the Alps
365:] studies and reads up a country before he goes there he must often be liable to pass by objects worthy of notice without knowing it till afterwards... The lithographs have been done entirely by myself and I hope they will give some idea of the beauty of the scenery."
245:. Following the death of the eldest son, the second son Arthur Elwes (1858-1907) inherited the Congham estate. The third son Gervase (1860-1895) was a tea and coffee planter in the Far East. The fourth son Richard (Dick) (1866-1841) ran the Elwes family tea estates at
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with distinguished company. However, his desire to see for himself the sights of which he had heard and read so much, contributed to some uncomfortable nights and dangerous encounters with bandits and unscrupulous guides.
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In his books Robert Elwes sought to record his experiences and observations for the future traveller. In the preface of his West Indies volume he explains his intention as informative, "for...unless a traveler [
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Briefly captured illustrations though these lithographs may be, their accuracy and detail, together with the strength of tonal observation, give them a satisfying quality. From his sketches also came the larger
335:. Sketching vigorously as he went, he would note with care the different varieties of flora and fauna to be found. It was an interest that was to produce a more renowned family representative in the person of
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Robert Elwes travelled extensively in his twenties and thirties, but in 1848 he embarked on a journey that was to take him round the world. Robert Elwes, aged 28, left
England on 20 March 1848 on board the
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Robert Elwes seldom signed his pictures; however, he used his cipher "RE" with the R inverted as his signature on sketches and china and "R E" is how he was affectionately referred to by his family.
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Robert Elwes belongs to an inveterate band of 19th-century travellers and explorers. He was to reach many of the places on the South
American continent which, just sixteen years earlier,
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in London. The youngest daughter, Violet, inherited her father's talent and enthusiasm for travel, painting and sketching as she travelled to visit her brother in Ceylon and thence to
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of neighbouring
Hillington. Ysabel (1859-1934) married Henry Birkbeck of Westacre and in the 1930s created a village industry, Westacre Doll's House furniture, which was sold in the
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98:. This voyage around the world took two years and three months, sailing on 10 different ships. He painted and sketched many scenes on his journey. He arrived in
213:. From Genoa he travelled by "poste" to Milan and Chur and then by steamer down the Rhine to Rotterdam and thence to London where he arrived on 20 June 1850.
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was not built until 1859). His journey across the desert was in a horse-drawn "van" carrying six passengers. He sailed the most direct route home from
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On the second major tour of which a published account survives, Robert Elwes was accompanied by his wife in 1865 to the
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in
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317:. His journal "W.S.W.: A Voyage in that Direction to the West Indies" was published the following year.
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Graves, Algernon: "Dictionary of
Artists Principal London Exhibitions 1760 - 1893". Kingsmead, 1969
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Wood, Christopher: "The
Dictionary of British Art Vol. IV Victorian Painters 1 The Text", 1971
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illustrated by engravings from his own works which he published from his home at
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35:(1819–1878) was an English Victorian traveller and painter, and the author of
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with a cargo of 500 sheep, he then travelled overland across
Tasmania to
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Soon after his return he married Mary Lucas, daughter of the rector of
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Elwes, Robert: "WSW - A Voyage in that
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and started towards home on 1 April 1850. His journey took him to
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and the youngest son Hugh (1869-1882) died whilst at school at
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in 30 days. He explored a little of Brazil and then sailed to
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was the young lieutenant who met a glorious death at the
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Elwes, Robert: "A Sketcher's Tour Round the World", 1853
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on horseback, a journey of 1,000 miles, crossing the
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29th King's Lynn
Festival: "A Sketcher's Tour", 1979
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55:Elwes was the second son of Henry Elwes of
233:, South Africa, in 1881. His last cry of "
443:Learn how and when to remove this message
329:had visited on his inland journeys from
185:. From there, he travelled overland to
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261:who became Member of Parliament for
118:by mule and up the Pacific coast to
349:Trees of Great Britain and Ireland
122:. He sailed across the Pacific to
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532:19th-century English male artists
37:A Sketcher's Tour Round the World
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265:, and Milly (1855-1915) married
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512:19th-century English painters
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16:English painter (1819–1878)
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241:painting of that title by
28:of Robert Elwes of Congham
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130:and was shipwrecked off
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468:Barclay, Sir Roderick
231:Battle of Laing's Nek
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381:Notes and references
507:People from Congham
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227:Robert Hamond Elwes
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425:introducing
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299:West Indies
247:Kituldeniya
243:Lady Butler
217:Family life
73:King's Lynn
57:Colesbourne
47:, in 1853.
496:Categories
433:April 2015
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321:Art career
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195:Alexandria
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283:Indonesia
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315:Trinidad
311:Dominica
181:and the
159:Shanghai
132:Tasmania
124:Honolulu
104:Tenerife
65:Westacre
421:improve
307:Jamaica
179:Red Sea
95:Eclipse
69:Congham
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287:Lombok
275:Malaya
251:Ceylon
207:Naples
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177:, the
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406:, or
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